Jan Sandström is among the most frequently performed Swedish composers
on the international scene today.The Motorbike
Concerto for trombone and orchestra (198889) is one of the most
spread Swedish orchestral works of all times, with over 600 performances to
its credit since its premiere in 1989. Sandström's catalogue includes
music for various ensembles, for choir, opera, ballet and for radio theatre
- but above all for orchestra, with or without soloist. The second trombone
concerto, Don Quixote (1994)
likewise written for Christian Lindberg, and the two trumpet concertos (1987
and 1992/96) for Håkan Hardenberger are also widely performed.

Sandström was born in Vilhelmina
in Lapland on 25 January 1954 and grew up in Stockholm. He began his university
education by studying counterpoint in Stockholm (with Valdemar Söderholm)
and then went north, to the top of the Gulf of Bothnia, studying at University School of Music in Piteå from 1974 to 1976.
He completed his training back at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm,
studying music theory (197882) and composition with Gunnar Bucht, Brian
Ferneyhough and Pär Lindgren (198084). In 1982 he was asked to
join the the developing of new music of the young and expanding University
School of Music in Piteå. So he returned there teaching composition
and music theory (198589), and after a year out, in Paris (1984-85);
he was appointed professor of composition at the university 1989.

Sandström began his musical career
as a chorister, and his work list includes a large part of vocal, opera and
choral music. His other widespread international success Det är en
ros utsprungen (Es ist ein Ros) (1990), is one of his most devout works.
His choral music underlines the catholicity and seems to form a link with
an inner, gentle world, the emotional abstract.
Sandstrom often deals with the naive, ordinary feelings, ordinary people,
the misunderstood hero. A critic once wrote that he composes music that
pats you on the hand and says there, there, itll be all right

Different lines of composing co-exists
in Sandströms music. Minimalism, Eastern philosophy as well as
the world of serialism were early influences on his music. For many years
Sandström also worked at developing the form of overtone harmony that
is known as spectral analysis. In more music theatrical pieces as Don
Quixote and the opera Macbeth2 (premiered at the GothenburgOpera
in spring 2001), he means to let the whole world outside in on stage. As pictured
in the Motorbike Concerto,
Sandström and his music is constantly on the move aiming to explore whatever
aspect of life and music takes his fancy: Every morning when I wake
up, I want to be surprised by whatever I might think up today!